ESU's streak snapped at 35 as Central Missouri wins, 5-3
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
It’s over.
The Emporia State baseball team’s win streak — the one that was 35 games and 48 days in the making — came to an end Friday, as Central Missouri hung on for a 5-3 victory at Crane Stadium in Warrensburg, Mo.
“It was an amazing, amazing trip,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said, “but there’s a lot more baseball yet to be played, and our goals are still in front of us.”
On Friday, ESU finally ran into a team that was able to slow down its offensive attack.
Three UCM pitchers combined to allow just six hits and three runs in nine innings.
The Mules (31-12, 19-6 MIAA) also made an art form out of working their way around trouble.
Central pitchers walked nine batters and hit two more, but made up for it by getting the Hornets to strand 13 runners.
ESU, which had been propelled through its streak by clutch hitting, was just 1-for-12 (.083) with runners on base.
“We had guys all over the place early and didn’t take advantage of it,” Fornelli said. “We just didn’t get it done tonight. That’s baseball. We’re going to come back tomorrow and get after it and see what happens.”
ESU never led in the contest, as UCM’s Iain Dykins provided an RBI single in the first to put the Mules up, 1-0.
The Hornets’ best threat came in the sixth. Nick Wolfe led off with a solo home run, and after a double and two walks, ESU had the bases full with two outs.
Keith Hernandez couldn’t come through, though, grounding out to the pitcher to end the rally.
UCM’s Mike Hallam led off the seventh with a homer to make it 2-1, and the Mules notched three insurance runs off ESU reliever Daniel Waggoner in the eighth to extend their advantage to 5-1.
“They hit first-pitch fastballs where we weren’t. They did a good job,” Fornelli said. “You tip your hat to them. We’re definitely going to need Waggoner before the week is out.”
ESU made some noise in the ninth, but it wouldn’t be enough.
Brian Majors doubled, then Eric Shortell hit a home run to left to cut the lead to 5-3.
With two outs, Kevin Wempe was hit by a pitch, but Wolfe struck out on three pitches to end the game.
“I thought we were a little tense tonight,” Fornelli said. “We need to come out tomorrow and be a lot looser and just go out and have fun.”
ESU’s Tyler Applehans picked up his first loss of the year, allowing two runs on four hits in seven innings.
Majors was the only Hornet with two hits. The Hornets struck out 12 times in all.
Jared Potts took the win for UCM, allowing one run and three hits in five innings. He struck out seven to go along with seven walks.
The Hornets lost their first game since dropping a 15-2 decision to Minnesota-Duluth on March 8. Since then, ESU had set an MIAA record with 35 straight wins and was just 11 victories short of the all-time Division-II record of 46 consecutive wins.
ESU (42-4, 28-1 MIAA) will continue the four-game series against UCM with a 1 p.m. doubleheader today.
Friday at Warrensburg, Mo.
Central Missouri 5, ESU 3
No. 2 ESU 000 001 002 — 3 6 1
Central Missouri 100 000 13X — 5 7 2
W — Matlock. L — Applehans.
E — ESU: Shortell; UCM: Potts 2. DP — UCM 1. LOB — ESU 13, UCM 5. 2B — ESU: Crumbliss, Majors, Hernandez; UCM: Dykins, Brown, Perez. HR — ESU: Shortell, Wolfe; UCM: Hallam. HBP — ESU: Wempe, Marasco; UCM: Rutledge. SB — ESU: Marasco; UCM: McBryde.
Att — 580. Records — ESU 42-4, 28-1 MIAA; UCM 31-12, 19-6 MIAA.